Islamabad are inaugural PSL champs

Early in the Pakistan Super League final last night, a fan commented on social media that his feelings were not dissimilar to what he goes through during an India-Pakistan clash. Such has been the emotional impact the tournament has had on ­Pakistanis that many were momentarily left deflated when the three-week carnival ended at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
But unlike the emptiness with which you have to cope sometimes when your national team is beaten by an arch-rival, this was different. This particular feeling stemmed from the fact that that the tournament, which took a few years to see the light of the day, had ended so soon. Like Nelly Furtado sang, many in the crowd would have wondered: Why do all good things come to an end?
Mercifully though, they would have brightened up at the thought that this “end” was just the beginning, and carried the promise of a much better and bigger tournament next year.
Having held the cricketing world captive with some magical moments with the bat and ball, the first edition of the PSL ended with Islamabad captain Misbah-ul-Haq lifting the trophy.  
There were cheers galore as he held it aloft for the photographers, not just because his team were champions but for the fact that it was in a way written in the stars. Looking back at what Pakistani cricket had gone through in recent times, there was none more deserving than the gentlemanly  but steely Misbah who was instrumental in steering Pakistan cricket through troubled waters.
Chants of “Pakistan zindabad” echoed through the stadium accompanied by some frantic flag waving. Despite that fact that this was not a contest between nations, patriotic fervour reigned supreme.  Islamabad United may taken the inaugural honours, but it was Pakistan that was the ultimate winner.
The Quetta Gladiators, who were asked to bat first by Misbah, couldn’t capitalise on the 87-run stand for the third wicket between Kumar Sangakkara and Ahmed Shehzad and were restricted to 174 for 7. The total was some 20 runs short of what appeared on the horizon when Sangakkara and Shehzad were on song.  
Islamabad, with four consecutive victories giving them momentum, aced it by six wickets with West Indian opener Dwayne Smith blasting 73 runs off 51 balls with the aid of seven fours and four sixes and Brad Haddin notching up a belligerent unbeaten 61 off 39 balls with  two fours and five sixes.
By the time Smith was out, caught by Kevin Pietersen off Zulfiqar Babar, Islamabad were only 35 short of victory and despite some jitters after his and Andre Russel’s departure in quick succession, a few lusty hits by Khalid Latif and Haddin sealed the win with eight balls to spare.
Captain Misbah, for once, did not have to rescue his team from a precarious position.
When he took strike, Islamabad needed just one run for victory and the captain flicked Anwar Ali for a single to ensure he was in the middle when it happened. Symbolically, it couldn’t have gotten any better.
Islamabad had made a cracking start with the tournament’s only centurion Sharjeel Khan and Smith putting on 54 runs for the first wicket in 5.4 overs. But despite Sharjeel’s exit for just 13, Smith and Haddin continued scoring at will to take the fight away from Quetta.
Earlier, when Quetta batted, quick wickets late in the innings let them down after Sangakkara and Shehzad were on song. After dangerous opener Bismillah Khan fell to Mohamed Irfan off the third ball of the innings as he was squared up and taken behind the stumps by Haddin with the team yet to open their account, Kevin Pietersen and Shehzad steadied the ship with a 33-run stand.
Pietersen appeared set for a long innings as he took his time, easing the ball into the gaps and taking singles.
A six over midwicket off Irfan showed he was finding his groove, but unfortunately for his team, he mistimed Andre Russel’s first ball of the match and holed out on 18 to Asif Ali who sprinted from deep square leg to take a great catch.
The arrival of Sri Lankan great Sangakkara changed the tempo of the innings as he and Shehzad started to score with ease. Imran Khalid and Irfan suffered at their hands. A cracking drive from Sangakkara off  had umpire Aleem Dar ducking for cover. A few minutes back Khalid had dropped Shehzad off Irfan when the batsman was on 38.
Sangakkara really cut loose in the 14th over bowled by Dwayne Smith. He hit for two fours and then off the last ball raised his half-century with a six over long-off. However, Sangakkara couldn’t go on much longer, dragging a ball from Russel from outside the off-stump to be caught at long-on by Khalid for 55 off 32 balls.
Shehzad too soon reached his half-century with a boundary off Russel and then dispatched Mohamed Sami for a six over backward square leg. But Sami bowled a slower one which the opener mistimed to Samuel Badree when on 58, which came off 37 balls. However, their efforts were in vain as Islamabad’s powerful batting line-up made light work of the target.
Brief scores
Quetta Gladiators 174-7 [Ahmed Shehzad 64 (39b, 4x9, 6x1), K Pietersen 18 (18b, 6x1), K Sangakkara 55 (32b, 4x7, 6x2); Md Irfan 2/25, A Russell   3/36] lost to Islamabad United 175-4 in 18.4 overs [D Smith 73 (51b, 4x7, 6x4), B Haddin 52 not out (33b, 4x2, 6x4)] by six wickets